Lok Sabha polls top updates: BJP fields 26/11 prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam from Mumbai North Central seat

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday announced its decision to field advocate Ujjwal Nikam from the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency instead of its sitting MP Poonam Mahajan.

Nikam was the public prosecutor in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack case. On November 26, 2008, 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists took a sea route from Pakistan to Mumbai and carried out a dozen coordinated shooting and bombing attacks at various major landmarks across the city. The attacks had resulted in the deaths of 166 persons, including 26 foreigners.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur said that the Opposition INDIA bloc will be “vanquished” after the Lok Sabha elections. The INDIA bloc is a coalition of Opposition parties that is taking on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in the polls.

Modi alleged that the Opposition parties had vowed to “murder social justice”.

Here’s a look at today’s top developments:

• The BJP on Saturday named public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam as its candidate for the Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat, The Indian Express reported. Since 2014, the constituency has been represented by BJP leader Poonam Mahajan. She had to be replaced as there were strong views both against her candidature, The Indian Express reported quoting unidentified party workers. The Hindutva party’s decision to field Nikam came two days after the...

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